Coke oven structure with external fuel line for low burners



Feb. 1.0, 1970 J. VAN ACKEREN COKE OVEN STRUCTURE WITH EXTERNALV FUEL LINE'AFOR LOW'BURNERS yFiled Nov. 8. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VEN TOR JOSEPH VAN ACKEREN BY J. .VAN ACKEREN Feb. 11o, 1970 COKE OVEN STRUCTURE WITH EXTERNAL FUEL LINE FOR LOW BURNERS Filed Nov. 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

4 4 n l /M//f//f/// z JOSEPH VAN ACKEREN BY M7? @0% ,4r/'mwa' United States Patent O ILS. Cl. 202-135 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A high chambered horizontal coking oven having elongate heating walls disposed on opposite sides of the coking chambers. Transverse division Walls defining a plurality of flame flues within the heating walls. Each flame flue having a high level burner and a low level burner. Fuel gas supply means disposed in spaced underlying relationship with respect to the bottom wall of the oven supplies fuel gas to the high level burners through underjet supply means. The fuel gas supply means also supplies fuel gas to the low level burners by means of a supply passageway extending from the fuel gas supply means exteriorly of the coke oven and connecting with ya horizontally disposed header which communicates with the low level burners. A regenerator adapted to preheat the combustion air and supply Waste gas as a diluent for the fuel gas is provided under the oven communicating with the oven by means of passageways passing through the ovens bottom wall. Air supply means may also be provided as an alternative to the waste gas dluent for the fuel gas. In a preferred form, valve means which control the portion of fiow to each set of burners are adapted to be set to provide a major portion of the fuel gas to the high level burner and in minor portion to the low level burner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates generally to high chambered horizontal coking ovens having elongate heating walls, disposed adjacent the coking chambers divided into a plurality of flame flues, with each flame flue having a high level burner and a low level burner. More specifically, it relates to a combination of fuel gas supply means adapted to provide effective uniform heating of the coking chambers.

Description of the prior art Coking ovens of the type to which this invention relates generally have a roof portion, a bottom wall and side walls. Elongated heating walls are disposed on opposite sides of the coking chambers. The heating walls have a pair of spaced side walls and a plurality of flame flues defined by transverse walls co-operating with the side walls. Suitable burners disposed within the ame ues are adapted to uniformly heat the heating walls from which the heat is conducted to the coking chambers. In order to operate at maximum efficiency, it is necessary that the heating wall be uniformly heated.

One of the major problems encountered in coking ovens is related to the need to increase productivity, while retaining reasonable simplicity of design and uniform heating of the coking chamber. Some improvement has been obtained through the use of coking chambers of greater height. In order to effect uniform heating in such structures by eliminating concentration of heating at one point, a low level burner has been provided at the bottom of each flame ue and one or more burners have been provided at a higher level. Such an arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,261,763.

3,494,834 Patented Feb. l0, 1970 ICC The coking retort oven disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,261,- 763 provides a system which is adapted to produce increased heating of the coking chambers by employing r1ch fuel gas. Such gas, upon combustion, tends to crack and yield undesirable carbon and resin deposits within the burners, thereby tending to produce clogging and reduce the heating value of the gas. In order to eliminate this disadvantage, admixture of the rich fuel gas and waste combustion gases is suggested in that patent. This results in dilution of the rich fuel gases sufficiently to ehminate the undesired residual effects. In this structure, each flue dividing wall has a waste gas receiving duct with Ia receiving opening at its upper end and a discharge opening at its lower end. The duct transports a portion of the Waste gas from the flue downwardly through the dividing wall interior and into a vertical gas supply duct which supplies a high level burner. A mixture of waste gas and rich fuel gas is burned at the upper end of the supply duct.

The flame flues disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,261,763 are divided into flue groups consisting of several flues which have a common crossover duct connecting them with a corresponding group of ues on the other side of the coking chambers. When one group of ues operates as a group of flame flues, the second group of flues operates as a group of combustion product ues to receive a portion of the combustion products of the first group. The combustion products pass downwardly through the combustion product ues and enter the regenerator through passageways in the bottom wall of the oven. The combustion products are then introduced into the group of ifliame flues through passageways in the bottom wall of the ues.

In addition to or in lieu of introducing waste gas into the flame flues in order to reduce the likelihood of carbon or resin deposits occurring through thermal decomposition of rich fuel gas, decarbonizing air -may be introduced. In U.S. Patent 3,222,260 the high and low level burners are alternately supplied With rich fuel gas and decarbonizing air. While one burner is burning, the other is being decarbonized by the air provided for this purpose.

Two of the known types of the supply systems for the supply of fuel gas to the flame flue burners are the gun ue fired system and the underjet system. Each type of system is disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,222,260.

In the gun flue fired battery, a horizontal header disposed crosswise of the coke oven battery and under the flue is connected to the high level burners. A second header is disposed adjacent the first and is connected to the low level burners. A supply main disposed longitudinally with respect to the coke oven battery and eX- teriorly to one side thereof supplies fuel gas to one horizontal header. A second gas main disposed exteriorly to the other side of the coke oven battery supplies fuel gas to the other horizontal header. Thus, the high and low level burners are supplied -by independent horizontal headers disposed beneath the bottom wall of the coke oven. The headers are in turn, supplied by separate gas mains disposed on opposite sides of the coke oven battery. Thus, provision must be made for the housing of two fuel gas supply headers under the bottom wall of the coke oven.

The gas gun type systems require independent fuel supply mains for each series of burners and an independent horizontal supply header passing through the area under the coke oven bottom wall for each series of burners. A relatively complex network of fuel gas supply passageways is, therefore, established within the limited space underlying the coke oven bottom wall region. While separate valve controls are provided on each series of burners, this is effected only through the pro vision of independent supply mains and cooperating headers.

In the underjet type of system, as is shown in the regenerative coke ovens shown in U.S. Patent 3,222,260, a fuel gas supply main is disposed under the regenerator. Fuel gas supply lines connected to the fuel gas supply main pass through the regenerator and through the bottom wall of the coking oven. A separate fuel line must be provided for each burner. Thus, where a ame flue has both a high and low level burner, two supply pipes are provided for each ame Hue. Each of these pipes passes through the regenerator walls and the bottom wall of the coke oven.

One of the obvious disadvantages of the underjet system with multiple burner llame flues is the need to provide at least two supply pipes through the regenerator walls for each flame ue. Suitable passageways `must be established in both the top and bottom walls of the regenerator as well as the coke oven bottom wall for each supply pipe. Such a system results in a substantial number of Supply pipes passing through the regenerator walls. Also, the conventional system generally provides single valve controls which results in fuel gas being supplied substantially equally to each burner within a llame flue. The objective of uniform heating of coking chambers may however, in some instances, make it desirable in some structures, to distribute fuel gas unevenly to the burners of a llame flue.

In systems where equal volumes of fuel gas are being supplied to low level burners and high level burners, the carbon and resin deposition in each nozzle are substantially equal. Maintenance of both high and low nozzles has to be provided on a substantially equal basis. As maintenance personnel must service both sets of burners and the oven is shut down during the maintenance period, it obviously would be highly desirable to substantially reduce the amount of maintenance required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The high chambered coking oven of this invention has eliminated the above mentioned problems encountered in fuel gas supply to multi-burner flame ues. A single fuel gas supply means is provided under the coking oven and in the case of a regenerative coking oven, under the regenerator. An underjet supply system is employed to provide fuel gas to the high level burners. A gas gun type system is employed to provide fuel gas to the low level burners. An external supply conduit communicates with both the fuel gas supply means and a horizontal header which supplies fuel gas to the gas gun type system. The underjet system also communicates through a header with the fuel gas supply means. Suitable valving is provided, intermediate the fuel gas supply means and the respective supply headers to control the ow to the respective low and high level burners. In the preferred form, a major proportion of the fuel gas is supplied to the high level burners. Also, if desired, a single supply source of air may be provided adjacent the fuel gas supply vmeans with suitable valving controlling distribution of the air through the respective fuel supply systems.

It is an object of this invention to provide a high chambered horizontal coking oven having two sets of llame flue burners supplied with fuel gas from a common supply source disposed under the coke oven but having different types of supply systems.

It is another object of this invention to provide a high chambered horizontal coking oven having a simplified fuel gas supply system which avoids heavy concentration of supply lines in certain areas of the oven structure.

It is another object of this invention to provide a regenerative high chambered coking oven having two sets of llame flue burners having a fuel gas supply system adapted to effect uniform heating of the coking chamber and reduce maintenance by supplying a major portion of the fuel gas to the upper set of burners.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a high chambered regenerative coking oven having a fuel gas supply system adapted to also supply decarbonizing air from a single source to each of said burners.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following description of the invention, on reference to the illustrations appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE l is a crosswise vertical section through a type of coke oven battery contemplated by this invention. Section A-A is taken longitudinally through a heating wall and regenerator and along A-A of FIGURE 2. Section B-B is taken longitudinally through a coking chamber and regenerator, along B-B of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken longitudinally of the coke oven battery.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section illustrating the fuel supply means passing through the coke oven bottom wall.

FIGURES 4 and 5 are schematic representations of valves suitable for controlling the ow of fuel gas and air to the burners.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG- URES l and 2 illustrate a coke oven battery 10 having a plurality of elongate coking chambers 12. The battery 10 has a bottom wall 38, side walls 42 and a roof portion 44. Within the roof portion 44 of battery 10 are a number of vertical passageways 46 which serve as inspection openings. These passageways 46 which provide means for visual and thermal inspection are covered with a cap member when not in use.

Elongate heating walls are disposed on opposite sides of the coking chambers 12 and subdivided into a plurality of flame flues 14 by means of transverse partition walls 16. Each llame flue 14 is provided with a low level burner 18 disposed adjacent the coke oven bottom wall 38 and a high level burner 20 disposed above the low level burner 18.

The llame ues 14 are divided into flue groups by means of partition walls 16 which extend up to the heating wall ceiling 22. Each group of ues on one side of a coking chamber 12 is connected with a like group of ues on the other side of the coking chamber 12 by means of a crossover duct 24. Only one of the pair of connected flame flue groups is burning at a given time. The waste combustion gas from the burning or tired flues passes through the crossover duct 24 and down through the opposite connected group of ame fiues. In the coke oven selected for purposes of illustration, regenerators 30 are provided and have a top wall 60, a bottom wall 62, side walls 64, 66 and intermediate pillar walls 68. After passing through the group of combustion gas receiving flues, the waste combustion gas enters regenerators 30 through passageways 32 in bottom wall 38 and connecting passageways 34, 36 in top wall 60. Passageways 34, 36 emerge into separate regenerators 30 on opposite sides of pillar wall 68. A portion of the waste combustion gas may be admixed with the incoming fuel gas as a diluent in the manner illustrated in U.S. Patent 3,261,763.

It will be appreciated that each connected group of flame flues is provided with heat from a low and a high level burner 18, 20 within each flame flue of the group being red. The desired uniformity of heating of the coking chambers 12 requires that properly `proportioned supplies of fuel gas be provided to the burners 18, 20 and where desired, proper proportions of decarbonizing air for the off ues or diluent waste combustion gases for the fuel gas may be provided.

The fuel gas supply for the coke oven of this invention, as illustrated in FIGURE l, is preferably a single fuel gas supply main disposed within the battery basement 82 which underlies regenerators 30. Through suitable valve means 84, to be described in greater detail below, this single supply main 80 supplies both the high level burners 20 and low level burners 18 within each ame flue 14.

The high level burners 20 are supplied with fuel gas through vertical supply pipes or passages 86 which at their upper ends communicate with the high level burners 20. The supply pipes 86 pass downwardly through the bottom Wall 38 and upper regenerator walls 60, through the regenerator intermediate pillar wall 68 and ultimately through the regenerator bottom wall 62 to emerge within the battery basement 82. As is shown in FIGURE 2, the lower end of vertical supply pipes 86 is connected with horizontal headers 96 through connector member 90 and flexible conduit 92. Suitable adjustable flow valves may be positioned in the connector member 90 for access and adjustment from the battery basement 82. Referring once again to FIGURE 1, it is seen that the horizontal header 96 has one end in communication with fuel gas supply main 80 by means of supply pipe 98, valve 84 and supply pipe 100. A continuous supply path between supply main 80 and each high level burner 20 is thereby established, with the valve 84 controlling the fuel gas provided the high level burners 20 in a manner to be described below. The horizontal header 96 acts as an intermediate distributor and provides gas to each high level burner 20 through a single vertical supply pipe 86 for each flame ue.

Turning now to the fuel gas supply system for the low level burners 18, attention is directed toward FIGURES 1-3. The low level burners are also supplied with fuel gas from fuel gas supply main 80. The fuel gas for the low level burner 18, however, is not transported vertically through the regenerators 30. Externally disposed vertical supply pipe 110 has a lower portion connected to valve 84 through intermediate supply pipe 112. The upper portion of externally disposed vertical supply pipe 110 is connected to and communicates with horizontally disposed supply header 114 which is disposed within the bottom wall 38. The low level burners 18 are connected to the supply header 114 through connecting pipe 116 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The volume of fuel gas supplied to the low level burners is also controlled by valve 84 in the manner described below. In this fashion, a continuous fuel supply system is provided connecting the supply main 80 with each low level burner without increasing the number of supply pipes passing through the regenerator walls 68 and without the need to supply additional supply mains and valves. Suitable reversal means 150 may be provided for the valves.

Through fuel gas supply main 80 and valve 84 a controlled quantity of fuel gas is supplied to high level burners 20 through vertical supply pipes 86. A controlled quantity of fuel gas is supplied to W level burners 18 through exteriorly disposed supply pipe 110 and header 114.

In addition, should it be desired to provide decarbonizing air to the low level burners 18, the high level burners 20, or both, in the off ues, this may be readily accomplished through the same simplified supply system. The decarbonizing air supply main 120 is also provided adjacent valve 84 of the off flues and provides air through valve 84 to either intermediate supply pipe 112, or header 96 or both. Thus, when the flame flues 14 which are provided With fuel gas by main 80 are not being tired, the same supply system may be employed to provide decarbonizing air.

Having now described in detail a fuel gas and decarbonizing air gas system which provide two independent systems of supply for the burners from a common source, the valve 84 which may be of a conventional type, will now be described. The valve arrangement may take several forms, depending upon whether the high or low burners will burn simultaneously or alternately, whether the system will handle both fuel gas and decarbonizing air and whether the two types of burners are to receive equal volumes or unequal Volumes.

FIGURE 4 is a schematic illustration of one species of valve 84 and is designated, for convenience, by the numeral 130. The valve 130 is adapted for use with a supply system adapted to have burners 18, 20 of a given flame flue 14 burn simultaneously. The valve 130 has a fuel gas inlet 132 which is connected through supply pipe 98 with gas supply main 80. It also has decarbonizing air inlet 134 which is connected with decarbonizing air main through supply pipe 122. The valve outlet 136 connects with both horizontal header '96 (directly or through pipe 100) and intermediate supply pipe 112. With the valve core 138 in the position shown, fuel gas entering inlet 132 will be provided to both high and low burners 20, 18 through header 96 and pipe 112 respectively. By rotational movement of the valve core 138 to the position indicated by dotted lines, both burners 18', 20 may be provided with decarbonizing air from inlet 134. Where decarbonizing air will not be employed with a given battery 10, inlet 134 may be dispensed with and rotation of valve core 138 will serve only to initiate and terminate flow of the fuel gas.

Where it is desired to burn the burners 18, 20 in alternate sequence, a valve of the type schematically shown in FIGURE 5 may be employed. Valve 130 is another species of the valve 84 illustrated in FIGURE 1. This valve has a fuel gas inlet 132 and a decarbonizing air inlet 134'. With the valve core 138 in the position shown in full lines, fuel gas is being supplied to the low level burners 18 through conduit 112 and decarbonizing air is being supplied to the high level burners 20 through conduit 160. Volume control valves (not shown) may be employed in co-operation with this type of valve in order to control the amount of fuel gas and decarbonizing air ow to each set of burners.

In the preferred form of this invention, a major portion of the fuel gas is supplied to the upper level burners 20 and only a minor portion is supplied to the low level burners 18. This is true whether the burners 18, 20 are red simultaneously or alternately. As uniform heating of the coking chamber 12 may be effected in this fashion, the amount of carbon and resin deposition and resultant maintenance -required for the low level burners 18 is substantially reduced or totally eliminated without a corresponding reduction in performance of the oven. In fact, some improvement in performance may be experienced. Preferably, about two-thirds to three-quarters of the fuel gas supplied is provided to the high level burners and about one-third to one-quarter is supplied to the low level burners. All of this is accomplished with a single fuel gas supply main 80.

If it is desired to supply the high level burners 20 with a different volume of gas from the low level burners 18, this departure from equal fuel gas distribution may readily be accomplished by appropriately sizing the supply pipes, if the system will generally employ a relatively xed supply to each burner. For example, the size of the horizontal supply header 114 for the low burners 18 could be reduced or the size of supply lines to the high level b urner 20 could be reduced. Alternatively, or in addition to the sizing of the supply pipes, this division may preferably be accomplished by means of an adjustable valve 140 represented by the dotted line in FIGURE 4. Such a valve 140 could be adjustable for the desired proportion of supply to pipe 96 and header 112.

It will be appreciated that the high chambered horizontal coking oven of this invention requires only a single supply main for fuel gas and a single supply main for decarbonizing air. Both supply mains are disposed under the regenerators 30. The high level burners 20 are supplied by vertical supply pipes 86 which pass through regenerator walls 68 and are fed by horizontal header 96. The low level burners 18 are fed by means of a horizontally disposed supply header 114 fed by an exteriorly disposed vertical supply pipe 110. Thus, a singlesource of fuel gas supply is provided and complex and congested supply lines are avoided. Also, in the preferred form, the high level burners are provided with substantially more fuel gas than the low level burners, thereby reducing undesired carbon deposits in the low level burner 18 and thereby reducing required low level burner maintenance. The adjustment in relative oW rates may be made by adapting the size of one or more supply lines and/o1- employing7 a suitable ow control valve 140. All of this is accomplished by simplifying the supply system design and providing an economical means of providing and maintaining a supply system to accomplish the desired ends.

Whereas, particular embodiments of the invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that numerous variations of the details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a high chambered horizontal coking oven, the combination of heating elements therefor to provide uniform heating of the coking chambers, comprising,

said coking oven having a roof portion, a bottom wall and side walls,

elongate heating walls disposed on opposite sides of said coking chambers,

each said heating wall having a pair of vertically disposed elongate spaced side walls,

each said heating wall having a plurality of transverse partition Walls cooperating with said side Walls to dene llame ues within said heating wall,

each said llame flue having a low level burner disposed adjacent said coke oven bottom Wall and a high level burner disposed above said low level burner,

fuel gas supply means disposed in spaced underlying relationship with respect to said bottom Wall,

first supply conduit means passing through said bottom wall communicating with said high level burners and said fuel gas supply means,

second supply conduit means communicating with said low level burners and said fuel supply means having a Vertical exteriorly disposed portion not in underlying relationship with respect to said bottom v'vall,

valve means communicating with said fuel gas supply means and said yfirst and second supply conduit means,

a regenerator chamber disposed in underlying relationship with respect to said bottom wall and communieating with said llame ues through passageways in said bottom wall,

said regenerator chamber being subdivided by a multiplicity of vertical pillar walls oriented generally parallel with respect to said heating walls,

said fuel supply means disposed in underlying relationship with respect to said regenerator chamber,

said rst supply conduit means having vertical fuel supply passageways passing through said regenerator and into said ame flues,

said second conduit meanshaving a portion underlying said regenerator chamber and a horizontal header portion disposed above said regenerator chamber and under said low level burners, and said vertical exteriorly disposed portion of said second conduit means connected at its lower end to said portion underlying said regenerator chamber and connected at its upper end to said horizontal header portion. 2. The high chambered horizontal coking oven of claim 1 including,

said rst supply conduit means having a horizontally disposed header communicating with said vertical fuel supply passageways, an intermediate fuel supply conduit connecting said valve means with said horizontally disposed header of said rst supply conduit means, and said valve means adjustable to control the relative portions of fuel gas supplied to said high level burners and said low level burners. 3. The high chambered horizontal coking oven of claim 2 including,

air supply means disposed in underlying relationship with respect to said regenerator chamber communicating through said valve means with said rst and second supply conduit means, said valve means adapted to control the flow of said air to said level burners and said low level burners.

4. The high chambered horizontal coking oven of claim 3 including,

said fuel supply means has a single fuel gas supply main, said air supply means has a single air supply main, and said valve means is adapted to be set so as to provide a major portion of the fuel gas to said high burners and a minor portion of said fuel gas to said low burners. 5. The high chambered horizontal coking oven of claim 3 including,

said high level and low level burners are adapted to receive diiTerent volumes of said fuel gas from said fuel supply means. 6. The high chambered horizontal coking oven of claim 4 including,

said valve means adapted to supply to said low level burners not more than about twenty-five percent of the total fuel gas supplied to said high and low level burners.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,815,285 7/1931 Becker 202-142 3,222,260 12/1965 Becker 202-141 WILBUR L. BASCOMB, JR., Primary Examiner D. EDWARDS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. XR. 202-144 

